My Dear Acquaintance A Happy New Year
by TurnMyGriefToGrace
Summary: A MerDer New Year's Eve one shot based after episode 5.10. Enjoy. :


**Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just wish I did.**

**The title is named after a song by Regina Spektor, called _My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)._**

**Just a one shot of a MerDer New Year's. Enjoy. :)**

_My dear acquaintance, it's so good to know you__  
For strength of your hand  
That is loving and giving  
And a happy new year  
With love overflowing  
With joy in our hearts  
For the blessed new year  
_

Truth be told, you're not one for ringing in the New Year. Practically your whole life, you considered this a pointless holiday; it's mainly a day for people to have an excuse to get drunk and make out simply because it's December thirty-first. That's not to say you didn't partake in the excuse. You did. Especially in med school when the perks of a day off and a night out were few and far between.

But now, you're living with a man who's particularly fond of the holiday—any holiday, really—so after work, you stopped off at the party supply store for kazoos and hats, figuring this could be your contribution to the festivities. It just so happens that the liquor store is close by so stopping in for some champagne just seemed like the rational thing to do.

The noise from the kitchen travels to the entryway as you unlock the door. Though you were secretly hoping it could be a quiet night spent with your boyfriend, it's not fair to kick your strays out, especially on New Year's Eve.

Alex is sitting at the counter drinking a beer with Lexie. Izzie is distractedly baking cookies, seeming to go through the motions of sprinkling with greens and reds but with a troubled expression that you can't quite read. George is playing cards at the table with Sadie, who doesn't seem to be in any rush of getting her own place as promised. You let it slide. _For now_, at least. That's really the last thing on your mind at the moment.

"Hey Death," Sadie greets you. "Did you just get in?"

You nod. "Yeah, I stopped off at the store. Is Derek home yet?"

"Nope," Alex replies.

"Hmm." You look at your watch. 7:30. He should be home by now. Maybe he had the same idea and was off buying his own assortment of celebratory alcohol and noisemakers. Or maybe he knew of the number of people gathered at the house and was opting to wait until you gave him the all clear to come home. As you leave the kitchen, it stings you a little that Cristina wasn't there to celebrate the new year with you. Not that you necessarily _wanted_ a sixth person in your kitchen, but it's Cristina.

It's been kind of quiet at work these past few days, everyone off their own little worlds. Izzie holing herself up in her room at all hours, Alex and George wondering what the hell is going on with her, your half sister looking at Mark Sloan in a way that makes you a little concerned, and Sadie trying to ingratiate herself into your little dysfunctional group. All the while, you and Cristina avoid each other in the halls as a way to avoid working out the fight you've both found yourselves in.

Right now though, you welcome the quiet. Lying back on the couch, you pull your cell from your pocket. Derek picks up after two rings and you smile upon hearing his voice. "Hey," he says. "I'll be home soon. I just stopped off for something."

"I already bought champagne," you tell him. "Oh, and I got party supplies too, so don't buy any of that."

Derek chuckles. "I'm not, but I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay. Love you," you whisper.

"Love you, too."

You flip on the television, and figure you'll watch Dick Clark count down the new year while you wait for him to arrive home. It probably seems a little anti-social, sitting in the living room by yourself while your friends are celebrating with booze, cookies, and what you're sure is a rousing game of Go Fish off in the kitchen. But it's been a long day, and some quiet time is much more appealing right now.

Derek opens the front door around 8:15 and immediately walks into the living room, bypassing the kitchen at all costs. The strays are getting to him, not so much Alex and Izzie because they even have seniority over him, and technically he did invite Lexie to stay for a while. But Sadie, with her tendency to jump in the bed at any given moment, much like Cristina does--or did--that gets to him. But he doesn't say much about it. He'd rather keep the peace than start a cohabitation war.

Derek hasn't talked much about the house--the house _you_ built, that is--but it's times like these when you both really wish you had a place to call your own. One of your New Year's resolutions is to get a move on with that whole thing. Plus, that view would be nice for fireworks on a night like tonight.

"Hey," he says softly, dropping down on the couch next to you. "New Year's Rockin' Eve, huh? I didn't know you liked this kind of thing."

"I don't. And Ryan Seacrest stealing the show isn't making me like it any more," you reply sarcastically, scooting closer to him on the couch. "So where were you?"

"Out," was his only reply. And he says it with a smirk and a raise of his eyebrows. No matter how much you beg, he's not going to reveal anything, that much you know.

You roll your eyes playfully. "Okay then."

"I should have gotten some food," he jokes.

You bite your lip regretfully. It's not really your fault they're all here, but still, on days like this--nights like tonight--you can't help but feel a little guilty. Derek loves holidays, and having a house full of people really isn't how you envisioned the perfect evening. "Yeah, sorry, they're um...all in the kitchen."

"It's okay," he says quickly, shaking his head. "I don't mind. As long as I can keep you to myself for the night, I'll be happy," Derek grins as he leans in to kiss you.

It's the kind of kiss that would let you let him take advantage of you on the couch right here, right now, but it probably wouldn't be right to have sex in the living room with five of your friends in the next room. "I'm here," you whisper, slightly out of breath from this kiss he gave you.

Derek squeezes your hand gently. "I know."

"Come on. Let's brave the kitchen for food, then sneak back in here," you say, pulling him off the couch.

"Okay," Derek laughs.

You return to the living room with two beers, some Christmas leftovers, and a few cookies. It should be enough to hold you over for the night. You suspect the party of five in the kitchen know the two of you want some time alone, and seems content staying in the there drinking and doing whatever it was they'd been doing since you got home.

"Are you and Cristina still..." he hints. He knows it's a touchy subject, but he also knows it's bothering you, so he asks anyway.

You take a sip of your beer. "Yeah. We are."

"I'm sorry," he says sadly, kissing you cheek.

"It's okay. We'll...get over it eventually," you say. Optimism was never your thing, but you decide that with a new year can come a new outlook. Even if you're unsure about it.

Derek nods and smiles. "You will." He's an optimist. And he's always sure about it.

You compliment each other nicely.

As midnight nears closer, Derek keeps checking his watch, and you suspect it has nothing to do with the dropping of the ball at Times Square and everything to do with why he was late coming home. Around 11:45, he hands out the silver party hats and kazoos you purchased to your pseudo family, saving two for you and him. He walks back into the living room wearing the stupid thing with the string under chin and grins at you.

You can't help but giggle at him, and reluctantly put it on your head too. It's New Year's Eve, the only day of the entire year when wearing one is acceptable. He kisses your cheek. "Get the champagne and meet me outside in ten minutes. And don't peek out the window," he says, his face full with nothing but happiness.

He walks outside, shutting the door behind him. You stay seated on the couch as promised, but can't help but wonder what the hell he's doing. Knowing Derek, he could have a fireworks display out front, and honestly, you wouldn't be all that surprised. Derek would go to great lengths to make your first New Year's together special. He already gave you gifts for Christmas, so you rule out anything materialistic he might be giving you. But jewelry, he could save jewelry for New Year's.

But something tells you he's not proposing. It wouldn't take him ten minutes to open a ring box and get down on one knee. You look at the clock again to distract yourself. It's nearing 11:55, and you decide now is a good time to get the champagne from the fridge.

"You okay?" Alex asks as you walk into the kitchen.

They're all wearing their party hats, and you giggle a little. "Oh, yeah, I'm good. I'm fine," you say, retrieving the champagne. "You guys can leave the kitchen, you know."

"We will," Lexie says, smiling slightly. Are they in on this? Maybe. Probably.

You nod. "Okay..."

At exactly 11:55, you open the front door, and are careful not to drop the glass bottle you're holding as you look out at the porch. "Derek," you gasp. "What are you...are those my candles?"

Derek grins. "Yeah. They are."

Twelve lit candles, straight from your candle house, line the wall of the porch. You're not sure why they're there, but the sight is enough to bring tears to your eyes. "Why are...what are you..." you stammer. Words escape you at the moment, and all you can do it stare.

He places the champagne bottle on the porch swing before taking both of your hands in his own. "There's twelve candles, one for each month of the new year. Within these next twelve months--and I'm not telling you which month, because that's no fun--but in these next twelve months, I'm going to propose. And by month number twelve..." he says, pointing to the farthest candle on the right. "...We're going to build a house."

Tears spill down your face, stinging a little as they come in contact with your rosy, cold cheeks from standing in outside. "Der," you whisper, overwhelmed with love for the man standing in front of you.

"You gave me candle blueprints, so I thought I'd give you a candle timeline. Apparently, we both have a thing for candles," Derek smiles, laughing a little.

You look at what he's done for you, and can no longer fight the urge to kiss him. So you do, hard. He runs his fingers through your hair and you wrap your arms around his neck. You're vaguely aware that your friends have started blowing the kazoos in the living room in anticipation for midnight. But right now, all the confetti and fireworks couldn't keep you from kissing Derek.

At ten seconds, Derek pulls back momentarily. "Love you."

Eight seconds. "Love you, too."

By the time two seconds rolls around, neither of you can breathe. He rests his forehead against yours and smiles. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year."

Kazoos are sounding in your living room, neighbors are cheering, and fireworks are going off somewhere not too far away. "Open it," you whisper.

Derek reaches over, cracks the seal, and pops the cork within a matter of seconds. It's actually rather impressive, you think. "You first," he says, handing the bottle over.

You take a celebratory sip and hand it back so he can have some. You probably look ridiculous with the pointy, silver hats on, but it doesn't matter so much right now. "I thought drinking on the porch can get us arrested?" you giggle, thinking back to what he told you a while ago. So much has happened since then, but if the end result is a porch lined with candles, it all turned out for the best.

Derek laughs, kissing your forehead. "It's New Year's. I think we're allowed."

"It's going to be a good year," you whisper, not a hint of hesitation in your voice. This time, your optimism is for sure.

"Yeah, it is," he agrees, wrapping his arms around your waist. "You know, we never _really_ had a victory dance that night..."

You smirk. "We were too busy...doing other things."

"Dance with me now," he says, pulling you a little closer.

"You don't dance in public," you quip, raising your eyebrows playfully.

Derek laughs. "We're already drinking on the porch. I think we can handle a little dancing in public," he grins.

Rather than protest, you just nod. It's New Year's, the ultimate holiday for excuses, so it's okay. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you smile.

This holiday may just be your favorite.

_Raise your glass and we'll have a cheer  
For us all who are gathered here  
And a happy new year to all that is living  
To all that is gentle, kind, and forgiving  
Raise your glass and we'll have a cheer  
My dear acquaintance, a happy new year_

**Just some MerDer New Year's happiness to brighten up the holidays. Hope you liked it. Reviews make my day! :)**

**Happy 2009!**


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